LAS VEGAS (UNLVrebels.com) – Jeff Opalewski has been hired as an assistant coach for the UNLV baseball team, head coach Stan Stolte announced on Wednesday.
With UNLV, Opalewski will be assisting in the team's day-to-day management and administration of the baseball program. In addition, his responsibilities will include coaching and managing the pitching staff.
Opalewski, or "Coach Ope," joins the Hustlin' Rebels after spending a season at Long Beach State University as the program's pitching coach. While at LBSU, he helped the Dirtbags record 10 saves each of which came from Mike Villani during the 2024 season. The ballclub also featured a pitcher on the All-Big West Teams, Opalewski guiding Myles Patton to an Honorable Mention spot in the Big West's list.
Prior to his brief stint with the Dirtbags, Opalweski oversaw all facets of the pitching unit and their development at Miami University, Ohio for two years. In that span, his pitching staff broke the school record for most strikeouts (594) in a single season, ranking fifth in the NCAA. The team finished in the top four of the Mid-American Conference in ERA every year under Opalewski's mentorship.
Individually, Opalewski oversaw a historic year from Jonathan Brand, who earned multiple All-American honors, All-East Region, first-team All-MAC, and ultimately an eighth-round selection in the 2022 MLB Draft. He had four All-MAC pitchers and three MLB signees during his three seasons at Miami, Ohio.
Spending three years at IMG Academy, Opalewski created the day-to-day programming for all 89 pitchers in the academy. In his three years leading the pitching program, he saw 48 players earn collegiate scholarships, 25 of which went to the Division I level. Most notably, he oversaw the development of three MLB Draft selections: Jackson Ferris (second round, Chicago Cubs), Drew Gray (third round, Chicago Cubs), and Mason Albright (12th round, Los Angeles Angels).
A former player himself, Opalewski was a 2004 MAC Champion at Central Michigan and a 2000 MLB Draft Selection coming out of high school.
